It Only Takes a Moment
by Princess of the Pearl
Summary: For Elizabeth Turner, it only took a moment for things to go from bad to deadly. For Captain Jack Sparrow, it only took a moment for his entire world to come crashing down. SPARRABETH!
1. Chapter 1

**IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT**

**CHAPTER ONE**

**SUMMARY: **For Elizabeth Turner, it only took a moment for things to go from bad to deadly. For Captain Jack Sparrow, it only took a moment for his entire world to come crashing down. The pirate king is on her way to Tortuga to make a long overdue confession when The Empress is caught in a terrible storm. By the time word reaches Jack that she's on her way, it may be too late.

**DISCLAIMER: **Jack'n'Lizzie etc. do not belong to me. The characters from _Pirates of the Caribbean _belong to the mouse and Jerry Bruckheimer. I make no money from the writing of this fan fiction.

**RATING: **T—teen. (For language and sexual innuendo.)

**SHIP: **100 percent Sparrabeth. Willabeth fans are of course welcome to read this story, but you have been warned!

**A/N: **Hello! The idea for this story suddenly came to me in the shower (where I seem to get all my ideas). It is, as all my stories are, a Sparrabeth fic, filled with lots of drama, angst and of course, romance. Anyone who has already read my work knows that I can't stand sad endings, so if you're put off by them as well, have no fear!

I am writing this story as a companion piece to another story I've written, "Capsized." However it is NOT (I repeat, IS NOT!) a sequel. It is a completely different story, just written along the same lines. It is a **short** story, and will be anywhere from 3-6 chapters long. Without much else to say, on with Chapter 1!

* * *

Elizabeth Turner shook her head furiously, trying to shake the rain water from her eyes as it came down in relentless, cold sheets. It wasn't helping much, however. What she needed was the use of her hands, to wipe the bitter water away with her fingers, but she dared not let go of the ship's wheel. Such a mistake would prove fatal not only for her, but for everyone else on board.

The storm had come out of nowhere, building in fierce intensity as each minute passed. The waves started out rocking the ship lightly, only knocking the newest, more inexperienced crew members off their feet. The waves were a frothy green, the color of sea glass. Within fifteen minutes, it seemed, they'd gone slate grey and had become so violent and volatile in nature that Elizabeth knew there was no chance of making it to Tortuga that night, as planned. She was forced to change course and head west, towards Shipwreck Cove, to wait it out.

This change of plans upset her greatly. She felt she'd already wasted enough time and this additional setback, however small it may be in the large scheme of things, was infuriating. Several _long _weeks had passed since leaving Singapore, and Shipwreck Cove was now only an hour or so away, depending on how much better or worse the weather would become. The Empress, however, had already sustained more than her fair share of damage, and a glimmer of fear had resonated in the back of her mind that she might not make it.

"You have to," she said through gritted teeth, her grip on the wheel tightening so hard her knuckles went completely white. She wasn't sure, though, if she was talking to the ship or herself. "You _have_ to make it."

A few good months had passed since she'd last seen her husband. Will's memory, and subsequently her love for him, had dramatically changed in his absence. Or at least… she wasn't sure. She remembered, quite vividly, the way she longed for him in the first few days, unsure her heart would ever heal. But as time went on, as she was given more time to think about her relationship with him, her feelings.

Will was her first love, and she would never forget how she once felt for him. She loved him. She wanted to marry him. Not only that, she was _ready _to marry him. She'd gotten her taste of a pirate's life and was satisfied, ready to get married and settle down, ready to be a wife and someday, a mother. But then something happened, something that changed absolutely everything. Lord Cutler Beckett waltzed into their lives, inadvertently throwing them into another adventure on the high seas. She and Will would never be the same after that.

In that second journey, they grew older, in more ways than one. They slowly became different people, driven by different desires that they didn't have before. Will learned his father was alive, damned for eternity under the command of Davy Jones. Her fiancé became hell-bent on finding a way to free him from his debt. Will, whether he was willing to admit it or not, was becoming a pirate.

As for herself… a few single moments changed everything for her. Along with a kiss of deception, a kiss of death, she triggered a chain of events that led her to where she was now. It felt like such a cliché, looking back on the feelings of pain and anguish, only realizing how much Captain Jack Sparrow meant to her after she'd sealed his fate with that kiss. She would understand how she'd sealed her own fate until much later.

There was no denying that before that day, she found Jack a handsome man. But before that day, she was never willing to realize that it was so much more than that. She _loved _Will. He was handsome himself, and noble, sweet, gallant… Jack was just Jack, just a pirate, an acquaintance, maybe even a friend. She wasn't really sure. He was infuriating one minute, then contradicting himself with some valiant act that in its own way, resembled heroism, the next.

Then that day came upon them. That kiss would _never _just be a kiss. The instant she pressed her lips to Jack's, something inside her changed. She might not have realized it right away, but she would never be the same. It was as if tasting Jack's lips subsequently gave her a taste of something she'd always secretly longed for… _freedom_.

With Will's obsession for freeing his father came her own obsession with freeing Jack from the locker… finding him and making things right. The more each of them thought about their newfound "passions," the less they seemed to think about each other and the more they grew apart. However, the days went on, as they always seemed to do. One catastrophe hit after the other and in a moment of sheer insanity, she and Will ended up married anyways. She hated thinking of her wedding as a flash of madness, but how else could she describe it? They were wed by a wanted felon, in the middle of a raging battle, in the middle of a raging storm! No rings, no cake. No marriage certificate.

Now this wasn't to say she didn't still love him. She certainly loved him… always would. But the love she felt for Will now was not the same love she once experienced. It was no longer the light-headed, heart pounding, shortness of breath love she initially felt. She loved him like a dear old friend, loved him like a brother more than anything else. While she slowly, and quite painfully, came to the realization that she was not in love with her "husband," it would take her even longer to discover where her heart truly was.

It had been about five and a half weeks when she had her first dream of Jack. Even now, when her main priority was keeping her crew safe as she battled the elements, she could still feel the warmth of his hands as they traveled up her thighs. She could still feel the tickle of his mustache as his lips left a trail of blazing hot kisses down her neck and across her collar bone. The feeling of his body, hot and slicked with sweat, molded against hers, was perfectly fresh in her mind. It would be a while longer before she realized she was riddled with more than just lust for the man. She'd fallen for him in a deep, passionate, intense way… a kind of love that hardly resembled the sweet, casual, proper relationship she had with Will.

At first, she tried to fight it. She was not only fiercely independent but a strong-willed and opinionated, as well. Those three qualities, she found, proved to be a blessing and a curse. She'd come a long way from the refined, governor's daughter in Port Royale. She was a pirate king. _The _pirate king. Once upon a time, such a title would have made her sick, made her cringe. But now… now, she was proud of who she was, of what she'd become. She had a title. She had respect. What would happen to that if she suddenly went to Jack? Would she just be the captain's bedmate, then?

However, the dreams kept coming. She'd close her eyes, her head would hit the pillow, and she'd instantly find herself in Jack's arms… or… under him… on top of him… she'd wake up sweaty and frustrated. And lonely. It took awhile, but she finally reached a point where she didn't care. Let others think of her as Jack's whore. She'd know better and so would he... if he felt anything for her, that was. He certainly owed her nothing and she would never expect him to actually _love _her. She didn't know if he'd welcome the sight of her or wish for her immediate disappearance. But she did know one thing… if she didn't try, she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

Jack… _Jack…_ Elizabeth couldn't wait to see him. Even if Jack cringed at the sight of her… she'd welcome the sight of his face, even if it was an unhappy one.

"Captain Turner! Captain Turner!" She was torn from her thoughts of Jack when she heard the washed-out sound of Tai Huang's voice over the raging storm. He was clutching a wound on his arm and there was another impressive gash on his forehead. The glanced down at the main deck. The sight of her crew was a pitiful one. They looked like they'd been battling another pirate crew, not a storm. They were beaten, bloody and losing terribly.

Elizabeth swallowed nervously when she heard the rumble of thunder. There would likely be a flash of lightening soon. But she knew instinctively knew, no matter how terrible the thought, what came next didn't matter much…

…there was no way the ship was going to make it out of the storm.

* * *

_**10 days later…**_

Captain Jack Sparrow shook the rain away from his face, droplets of water flying from his dreadlocks and splattering his quartermaster, a one Joshamee Gibbs, in the face. He hardly noticed the older man's sputters and cough of annoyance, however, for his mind, as it usually was, was preoccupied.

The streets of Tortuga barely resembled the streets he was so familiar with. The main road in town was muddy with the rain, its citizens hidden in their homes and the town's many inns. The raging storm that seemed to have taken over the entirety of the Caribbean rendered the town far sleepier than it had ever been.

His crew trailed behind him, as if they didn't know what to do with themselves in a place that was now practically foreign to them. The storm had been in full-swing for nearly a week and a half now, leaving the men of the Pearl soggy and tired. Jack had hoped that once arriving in Tortuga, they'd disperse, as they usually did. That would leave him alone with his thoughts, alone to ponder and brood, to drink and socialize with a gaggle of golden-haired wenches… women who looked like _her._

Her. The one and only Elizabeth Swann… er, Elizabeth _Turner_ now. He kept forgetting… she was a married woman. When he first learned that she and Will had been oh-so-cleverly using their time in the maelstrom to get hitched, he was actually rather pleased. He thought for sure that knowing she was married, _taken_, he'd finally be able to throw her out of his mind. Knowing now that there really was _no_ chance he'd ever get to be with her should make it a hell of a lot easier to move on.

Easier said than done. As it turned out, knowing that she legally belonged to someone else (especially knowing that that someone else was bloody Will Turner) made her all the more tempting. Elizabeth was the forbidden fruit more now than she ever had been. As for him? Now he knew why Will behaved the way he did, why he was so driven to do everything and anything for her.

It didn't take long for him to start hearing about her, for her legend to grow like a wildfire in dry grass. She'd inadvertently proven every theory he'd ever had about her. She'd never know it, but the minute he met her, the minute he looked into her eyes and heard the fierce determination in her voice, he knew there was so much more to her than being the governor's daughter. The potential for greatness was so ripe, he could taste it.

And now here she was, over a year later, becoming all he knew she could be. No matter where he was, he seemed to hear about her, about this new pirate king that he had single-handedly elected. (Well, dual-handedly, if her own vote was counted…) He was in Madrid when he heard that the dread Lizzie Turner had sacked Nassau Port. He'd made it all the way to Tokyo when he heard that she'd done it without firing a single shot. He knew it likely wasn't true… legends like that never were. Nonetheless, he found he couldn't suppress the big fat grin that spread across his face every time he thought about it.

He found that there were a lot of things he couldn't suppress when he thought about Lizzie. He was a pirate, no questions asked, and as such was quite used to taking what he wanted. However, he wasn't mindless. He was no brute. He wasn't one of those pirates who fired first and asked questions later. Elizabeth didn't want to be with him. She had absolutely no reason for wanting to be with him. And therefore… she shouldn't have to be.

His mother and father taught him right. Women were not objects. He might have been crass and rude, an ardent pain in the rear-end. He'd told a good number of lies in his day, had many guises. He'd stolen more coin than he could count. But still… in many ways, he was a gentleman of a pirate. He was no Captain Barbossa, no Sao Feng. So yes. He was used to taking what he wanted, damned the consequences. But one thing he would not take was Elizabeth… a beautiful, fair creature, who no matter how fearsome and legendary she became, deserved to be cherished always. Even if he wasn't the one to cherish her or even if he did, only from afar.

Just because he knew he couldn't have her, however, in no way meant that he didn't still pine for the girl. That thought alone scared the hell out of him. He'd _never _pined for anyone before. "Pining," just wasn't a phrase one would equate with a man like Jack.

But once again, Elizabeth changed everything.

Half of the time he didn't know if she was a blessing or a curse. She had killed him, as he vividly remembered. He wanted to hate her for it. He _desperately_ wanted to hate her for it. But every time he seemed to think about it, to think about what he himself would have done, he always came to the same conclusion. She took the bull by the balls, so to speak… took what she wanted and gave nothing back. An outsider might see what she did as cowardly, but he knew better. She was brave, a damn hero. He might have been the victim, at the receiving end of her so-called heroism, but then he'd think of the kiss and think that maybe it really was worth it.

The truth of the matter was, he knew it. The second she pressed herself into him, the instant she brushed her lips over his, he knew something was askew. But he was so dumbfounded by the fact that she _was _kissing him that he had difficulty reminding himself to stay focused. His suspicions were amplified when he felt his back hit the wood of the mast, when he felt her hand trace lazily down his arm. But she was kissing him! Bloody hell! Elizabeth bloody Swann was kissing _him_! Even if he knew he was damned… it _was_ worth it.

"Drink, Jack?" He blinked hard several times, the foggy image of the golden-haired murderess and the feeling of her soft lips fleeting away from him. He looked up to see Gibbs, a pitcher of ale in his hand, ready to pour into an empty mug that had, at some point, been placed in front of him.

"What?"

"Care for a drink, Capt'n?" Gibbs spoke slowly the second time around, his brows furrowed slightly.

"Oh." Jack blinked again before grabbing his mug by the handle and holding it up. "Fill 'er up." The tavern they'd chosen was eerily quiet, with only three other patrons aside from the crew. Jack, Gibbs and a few others had taken seats at the long, wooden bar, while others had flocked to different tables to drink, smoke and gamble.

"Schilling for yer thoughts, Capt'n?" Gibbs asked with an all-knowing chuckle, setting the pitcher of ale on the counter and motioning for the bar wench to refill it.

"Mate, it'd take much more than a mere schilling to satisfy me thoughts," Jack mumbled, burying his nose in his mug and inhaling the salty smell. He took a few large gulps when the door to the tavern burst open, bringing a gust of wind and rain with it. The commotion was such that it captured the attention of all inside, looking up to see a lad of about twelve, drenched to the bone. His clothing instantly gave him away as a local, the son of a pirate or maybe two. And he clearly knew by the exasperated look on his face that the tavern was filled with pirates as well.

"Did ye hear it?! Did ye hear the news?!" he wailed, shaking his head. Water sprayed everywhere, earning a few grumbles from those sitting closest to the door.

"Slow down, Matty," the bartender said, tossing his cleansing rag onto the bar. His Scottish brogue was thick and heavy. "What news?"

"The Empress!" the boy cried, his voice heavy enthusiasm at breaking this great news to a room full of pirates.

Jack's ears perked up at the mention of Elizabeth's ship. He'd learnt from wretched experience to trust his intuition, his initial gut instinct, and this time it wasn't good.

"What of it, boy?" he asked, almost afraid to know the answer. He scooted out from his barstool, rising on shaky legs to his feet.

"She was lost in the storm!" the lad continued, panting for breath. "The pirate king is dead!"

* * *

**A/N: **Dun, dun, DUN! Is Lizzie really dead, or will Jack soon be taking a trip to the locker?

Thanks so much for reading! Feedback is greatly appreciated! See you all at Chapter 2!


	2. Chapter 2

**IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT**

**CHAPTER 2**

**DISCLAIMER: **Jack'n'Lizzie etc. do not belong to me. I make no money from the writing of this fan fiction.

**A/N: **Hey guys! Thanks so much for your feedback, it prompted me to update tonight instead of waiting for tomorrow! I think this story will be 3 full chapters (maybe four, we'll see how it goes) in length, with a short epilogue. So four or five chapters in total.

The passages in _italics _are flashbacks

Thanks again for your reviews! Now, on with Chapter 2!

* * *

"Capt'n! Capt'n! Jack!"

He ignored Gibbs as he called after him, his voice quickly drowning out under the pouring rain. The unusually cold water stung his skin, dribbling down his face in what felt like hundreds of thin rivulets. Within minutes, his entire body was soaking wet, numb to the core.

He'd taken this route o the docks so many times, he walked briskly, with second-nature. Taking the longboat back to the ship was a great risk, for the swells and winds had increased greatly in the short time since leaving the Pearl in the first place. But he didn't care. At this point in time, he couldn't make himself care about a damned thing. Not a God damned thing.

"_And then they made me their chief." A colossal splash tore him from his thoughts and he looked to the side to see where the tranquil water had been disturbed, just in time to see a flash of color along with it. The cause for the splash had been a person, a girl by the looks of it. _

_The soldiers he was with proved themselves to be as unimpressive as he had originally guessed and soon found himself immersed, diving deeper and deeper towards the body. He had no idea if she was alive or dead, or even how she'd fallen. But… he was there. He might as well do something about it. _

_His eyes stung from the salt water and he could hardly see what he was doing, where he was going. Yet he could faintly make out her shape, and when he was close enough, he reached down and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her up towards him. _

_He didn't know it then, but that was the first of few times he'd be that close to Elizabeth Swann. Looking down at her once he got her to the dock, he knew he had found one of the most beautiful faces he would ever see. No… _the _most beautiful face he would ever see. Looking down into those wide eyes of hers, had he just known then what he knew now… He would have slung her over his shoulder and taken her with him._

_Then she wouldn't have been taken by Barbossa._

_Then she wouldn't have done what she did to him._

_She wouldn't have had to save him from the locker._

_The battle with Jones and the East India Company would not have happened._

_He would not have made her Pirate King._

_She would be alive._

He reached the ship, with great difficulty as he stroked the oars against the waves, and hastily tied off the longboat before climbing aboard. He hurried to the galley and screamed at the few crew members still aboard, left behind to guard the ship, to leave immediately. They stared at him with wide eyes but didn't dare question him, duly noting the fury in his voice. He made a point to grab a bottle of rum before heading back to his cabin.

Irritated, he fumbled the keys on his belt before finding the one to unlock his quarters. The metal of the keys were freezing to the touch, made cold by the harsh weather. He gritted his teeth at the harsh feeling of the metal against his skin. He finally got the damn door unlocked and kicked it open, slamming it so hard behind him that he felt the floorboards quake beneath his feet.

So what now? He had his Pearl. He had his drink. He had his privacy. He paused, looking around his dark cabin with glaring eyes. It was so quiet. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"_We are very much alike, you and I… I and you… us."_

_If there was one thing Jack loved more than the Black Pearl, more than rum, it was getting a rise out of Elizabeth. She was so damn enticing when she was annoyed, especially when she was annoyed with _him_. He smirked. The look on her face as she formulated her comeback was priceless._

"_Oh. Except for a sense of honor and decency and a moral center." Very briefly, she paused. "And personal hygiene!" He smirked again. Good girl._

With his eyes closed, he could still hear her, could still see her and feel her.

"_You came back. I always knew you were a good man." The look in her eyes nearly killed him where he stood. She looked so frightened, so unsure. Had they been the only two people within a reasonable distance, he would have swallowed whatever unseen force was holding him back and held her. But before he could register another thought, she was close to him, kissing him… kissing him…_

_His mind was so hazy. Kissing her was surreal. He felt his back hit the mast and was preparing to put his arms around her when he felt the manacle click around his wrist. He slowly opened his eyes and looked into hers. The fear was still there._

"_It's after you, not the ship. Not us. But this is the only way, don't you see?" She moved closer, as if to kiss him again, before hesitating. "I'm not sorry." He knew she was. She was so sorry, he could practically feel it. He had to say something to her, something to let her know he understood._

"_Pirate."_

He kept his eyes shut. He could still feel the softness of her lips. "Elizabeth…" He took in a deep, shaky breath and could feel the tingling of his nose, the burning behind his eyes. The grip he had on the bottle's neck tightened. "Lizzie…" His eyes shot open. He was furious, so angry he felt hot, despite the chill that still lingered on his skin and the dampness of his clothing.

With an anguished scream, he hurled the bottle against the wall, watching as the glass shattered into thousands of tiny, sharp pieces… watching as his life fell apart right before his eyes…

* * *

Was that the sound of the crashing waves? Was that the sand?

It was so cold… _so cold… numb…_

Everything was wet. Everything was dark. So dark. Everything hurt.

Elizabeth tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't. It was as if she was conscious and unconscious at the same time. She was completely unaware of where she was, of what was going on. She couldn't move, could barely breathe. She could feel the gritty sand underneath her, scraping her skin. But she was in so much pain, felt so weak…

"What's this?" _Jack…_ Was that Jack? Whose voice was that? She needed to open her eyes, but she couldn't… she just couldn't. "Dear, God…" She could vaguely make out the sound of the sand shifting beside her and could just barely feel the heat of another person. So now, not only did she _not_ know where she was, or what was happening, but someone, a very unfamiliar someone, had found her.

She felt something touch her wrist. Was that someone checking for a pulse? She wanted to sit up, to scream "I'm alive!" Whatever was touching her moved away and she felt what must have been a strong pair of hands under her arms, slowly hoisting her off the ground.

She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream. She was so frustrated…

The unconscious part of her was beginning to take over the conscious part, the small grasp she had on her surroundings slowly fading away into complete oblivion.

* * *

"_The pirate king is dead!"_

It had been six days since Jack first heard the news. Six days of nothingness. Six days of complete obscurity. It felt like four of those six days, he'd been asleep. The remaining two, he'd been so drunk, he didn't remember very much of what he'd done.

When he was awake and sober, he had visions of her, of what it must have been like. He tried not to with all his might, but he kept imagining her head ducking beneath the waves as she tried to stay afloat. When he was asleep, he was greeted with grim nightmares of her ghostly, gaunt face or sweet dreams of her warm body, breathing and sighing contentedly in his arms.

He should have never let her go off by herself. Pirate king or not, he should have kept his eye on her at all times. He briefly thought about going to the locker, about finding a way to bring her back. But Davy Jones was dead. What was it now? Will Turner's locker? Did that place even exist anymore? Will. Were they together now? He didn't know, and that was the worst part… the not knowing.

This wasn't how things were supposed to be.

"_We're devils, we're black sheep, we're really bad eggs! Drink up me hearties, yo-ho!"_

"_Really BAD eggs!" He suddenly felt dizzy. "Oh." He plopped onto the sand, grabbing her wrist and taking her with him. He was drunk that night, no doubt about it, but he would always remember it… the glow of her skin as they danced around the bonfire, the energetic sparkle in her eyes, the lightness of her voice. _

_He always knew Elizabeth was beautiful. But something about the way he saw her that night changed things. She was more than just beautiful to him from that moment on. She was light. She was like all the goodness in the world wrapped up into one, incredible, perfect being. Good God, what he wouldn't give to pin her against the sand and just kiss the life out of her. He wanted to kiss her jaw-line, her collar bone…_

The Black Pearl hadn't left Tortuga since the night he learned of her death. Half the crew had already joined other crews, in need of a salary or just something to do. The other half, those who knew and respected Elizabeth, spent their days moping around the ship's deck and their nights getting wasted in town. The storm had died down significantly, lightly raining on and off. The Black Pearl had the all-clear to leave at any time, but Jack refused. He didn't want to go anywhere. He just wanted to sleep… to sleep and not wake up.

There was a loud knock at the door. Jack grunted and rolled over, pulling his pillow over his head and pressing it down against his ear. He felt like his head was pounding and given the amount of alcohol he had consumed the night before (or thought he had consumed… he didn't really remember…) that wasn't surprising. Maybe if he closed his eyes tight enough the knocking would just go away.

"Capt'n?" He grunted again. It was Marty.

"Go away," he mumbled into the mattress, yawning and trying to go back to sleep. He didn't feel so good…

"Capt'n?? There's, uh… a message has arrived for you, Capt'n."

"Gimme that!" He vaguely heard Gibbs' voice and turned on his side, facing the wall. Gibbs was a good man and Jack knew he cared. Unfortunately, with his "good man" mentality, that meant he had difficulty understanding boundaries. He knew what was coming next. The door swung open and Jack heard footsteps bounding across the cabin, heading towards the bunk. He felt the bed jiggle. Clearly Gibbs had kicked the mattress.

"Thought I bloody locked it," Jack groaned.

"Get up, Jack."

"S'captain Jack to you…"

"Get up, Captain Jack," Gibbs repeated, little enthusiasm in his voice.

"What?!" Jack threw the pillow off his head and sat up, practically able to feel the simmering blood in his veins coming to a raging boil.

"This is pathetic."

"Well, I am pathetic." He flopped back down, draping an arm across his face. "What's it to you?"

"Would she want this?"

Jack sat up again, his eyes narrowing into slits. "You son of a bitch, you have no idea what she would want."

"This arrived in town for you today," Gibbs said, rolling his eyes. He tossed a nearly crumpled piece of parchment into Jack's lap. "Read it, an' when yer ready to snap out of it, I'll be waitin' at the wheel for your orders." He stomped out of the room, gone as quickly as he'd appeared.

Jack muttered a few profanities under his breath before picking up the piece of paper. It was folded into thirds and on the outside, his name was scribbled in shaky handwriting. It was his father's hand. He frowned and unfolded it, greeted by two simple words.

_Come now._

* * *

**A/N: **Well, that's it guys! I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading, now go review! See you all at Chapter 3!


	3. Chapter 3

**IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT**

**CHAPTER 3**

**DISCLAIMER: **Jack'n'Lizzie etc. do not belong to me. I make no money from the writing of this fan fiction.

**A/N: **Hello everyone! Well, this is it, the last chapter! I was originally going to make three full chapters and then a short epilogue, but once I had the epilogue written, I realized it fit better as a part of this chapter rather than by itself.

I would like to take this chance to thank everyone who reviewed: Sophies-Welt, XxIcexX, royalpinkdogs, elizabeth marie cullen, purplekirbyshaft, driver picks the music, Future Mrs. Sparrow, Florencia7, Sassy Sparrow, Malin, and Jenn1244. It think that's everyone, but if I forgot you, I apologize! You guys rock, I write this stuff for you!

I would also like to make a note of the title for this story. I caught a few minutes of "Hello Dolly" on TV a few nights ago and was inspired by one of the song verses. (It's also featured a few times in "Wall-E," for anyone who has seen that.) This is in no way a songfic, I just stole the title.

_Italics _are still flashbacks (as noted in Chapter 2).

Now, without further ado, on with Chapter 3!

* * *

And that is all that love's about

And we'll recall as time runs out

That it only took a moment

To be loved

Our whole life long

* * *

_He was growing weaker, his strength fluttering away right before her eyes. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. She couldn't believe this was happening… this just couldn't be happening. He tried to say something, but all that came out was a shaky final breath before his head lolled to the side, his eyes closing._

"_No… no!" Elizabeth hadn't been in love with Will for quite some time, but the pain at what was happening was unimaginable. She didn't have to be _in _love with him to love him. _

"_Part of the crew, part of the ship… Part of the crew, part of the ship…" Their voices were eerie, ghost-like, and on any other day she would have been frightened by them. But not now. Now, she barely heard them. She just didn't care. She was crying all sorts of things… saying she was sorry, begging him to come back. Their voices were getting louder, closer, yet she was unable to register the danger she was in._

_She remembered screaming, swearing she wouldn't leave him when she felt Jack's hands firmly grip her shoulders, pulling her away. Everything became very hazy then, like she was dreaming it all, watching it from a distance._

"_Hold on!" he firmly instructed, firing his pistol. _

_When their feet left the deck, she was finally able to understand what was happening. He was saving her, again. That's how they'd met, after all. She forced her mind away from Will, then, as the only way of maintaining her sanity, and she thought of all the times Jack had come to her rescue. There was that first initial meeting, when he plucked her from a watery grave at the bottom of the ocean. Stupid corset. There was that time on the island… it was inadvertent, for sure, but by handing her that first bottle of rum, he planted the seed that sprouted the idea for their rescue. Then, of course, there was the fight in the caves. It happened so fast… she was running, saw Barbossa aim and cock his pistol and then a gun fired. Had Jack not shot him, she'd likely be dead. His intention was clearly not to save her, but he did nonetheless._

_And then there was now… the two of them sailing high above the slate colored ocean waters. Jack had saved her again, saved her from drowning as the Flying Dutchman submerged beneath the water's surface. They were soaring high above that now, free… Jack had helped her fly. He'd given her wings. He'd given her freedom. And what had she done to deserve it? He'd saved her life so many times now and she had thanked him by taking his life away…_

_She could never deserve him._

* * *

The sound of heavy footsteps woke Elizabeth up, yet she was conscious before she could open her eyes.

Everything hurt… _everything._ Her muscles ached with fatigue, a burn she had not felt since the maelstrom. Her head felt like it had taken a severe pounding, like someone had slammed their fist straight into both of her temples. Her back felt pinched, like she'd done too much heavy lifting for her own good. Her lips felt dry, cracked from a lack of moisture, stinging her painfully with each minor movement. The palms of her hands felt like they were on fire. That had to be from the blisters she had earned from her tight grip on the Empress's wheel.

_The Empress_… it came flooding back to her… the sight of her crew, struggling to keep the vessel afloat, the terrified look on Tai Huang's face when he rushed to her side, shaking his head, knowing as well as she that they would not survive. But she had survived. Where was everyone else? She couldn't live knowing she was the only one who made it out… or had she made it out? She still didn't know where she was.

She squeezed her eyelids tightly before forcing her eyes open, her surroundings blurry and white. She took a few deep breaths, waiting for the adjustment, for things to become clear. She was in a room… a small room. The wine colored paint was peeling off the walls. She looked down and noticed that she was in a large bed, far bigger than the one in her cabin or the one in her old bedroom in Port Royale. A bed for a King… What was this place? _Where _was it?

The room was sparsely decorated. There was no area rug to cover the aged, wooden floorboards. The door was a different stain, but looked equally distressed. She looked to either side of her. Two washbasins flanked both sides of the bed. There was a small bureau and trunk on opposite walls and a rich, red velvet armchair in the corner.

Directly across from her was a large window, with a full view of the horizon line, the expanse of the ocean at her fingertips. It was cloudy outside… it looked cold and foggy, drizzly even. It reminded her of London. Standing next to the window, staring out was… a man. His back was to her. Her breath caught in her throat when she thought of who it might be. Tattered clothing, tan skin. The two hands that were clasped behind the man's back were adorned with several clunky rings. There was a tri-corn top atop his head, a mess of dark dreadlocks and braids spilling out from under it.

_Jack…_? She tried to speak, but couldn't. She swallowed roughly… her throat was painfully dry. She tried again. "Jack?" When she did speak, her voice was hardly recognizable. The man turned around and she could practically hear her heart breaking from disappointment. It wasn't Jack.

"Ah, yer awake," the man said, his voice gruff. "S'a miracle to say the least. That yer alive, that is."

"Who… who are you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to get a better look at him. He looked familiar, but with her mind as fuzzy as it was, she wasn't sure.

"Capt'n Teague Sparrow, yer majesty," he gave a slight bow before winking at her, flashing her a grin.

"You're Jack's father." It was a statement, not a question. She must have wound up in Shipwreck Cove… somehow…

"Aye, milady," he nodded, sauntering closer to her. She watched him with uncertain eyes as he stopped at one of the washbasins and picked up the water pitcher there, pouring the clear liquid into a glass. He leaned across the bed, careful not to spill any, handing it to her. "Ye must be thirsty." She didn't pause to say thank you as she snatched it from his hand and drank greedily, listening to him as he continued to talk. "I found ye meself a few days ago. Ye washed up on the beach." She gulped down air when she pulled away from the glass, looking at him with sad eyes.

"There was a storm," she whispered, looking down to her hands. She flashed up to him again. "Am I the… the only…"

"Survivor?" He nodded. "Aye. Looks like, anyways." She could feel the tears burning in her eyes but bit her lip, holding them back. She didn't want to cry in front of Teague, but she found it difficult, when he looked so much like his son. She wanted Jack… needed Jack… She felt the bed dip beside her and glanced over to see that he'd sat down. He was staring at her, his dark eyes boring into her soul. It was as if he knew her every thought. "I sent for him. He'll be here soon."

"I…" She quickly tried to formulate her thoughts. "I don't know what you mean."

"Jackie," he said, smirking. "Me son. He's comin' for ye and he'll be here soon." He winked. "Trust me. Boy's head over heels for ye, me dear."

* * *

Jack grumbled to himself as the Pearl came into the harbor at Shipwreck Cove. He _did not_ want to be here. He could only imagine he was being summoned to some sort of Brethren meeting, of which he desperately didn't want to take part in. It was likely regarding Lizzie's… he closed his eyes and shook his head. He couldn't let himself think about that now, not with his crew, or what was left of his crew, watching him.

Had the message been sent by anyone else, he would have crumbled it into a little ball and tossed it over his shoulder, letting it collect dust behind his bunk. But as it turned out, it _wasn't_ written by anyone else, it was written by his father. And when Teague Sparrow gave you a command, you better well follow it. Elizabeth might have been the pirate king, but in many ways, Teague had more authority than anyone else.

When the Black Pearl was a reasonable distance from the docks, he barked a few orders at his crew, telling them to stay put, for they wouldn't be in Shipwreck Cove long. He'd go into town, figure out what his father wanted, and leave. This little side-trip was interrupting a good deal of brooding, sleeping and drinking.

The row to shore was agonizing. He had little energy, which made rowing increasingly difficult. And with each stroke of the oar, he was reminded of the last time he'd been in a longboat, the night she… He shuddered. He had great difficulty thinking the entire thought. _The night she died…_ On the journey there, there were a great many times when he wanted to just "fall" overboard and let the waves take him, let the ocean swallow him up. But he kept thinking of her, of the look on her face if she were to know what he'd done. Besides, Will Turner's face really wasn't the first one he wanted to see upon making it to the other side.

Jack reached the docks and hastily tied off the longboat, walking with long, quick strides towards town. He kept chanting his plan in his head. _Get in, get out. Get in, get out._ He ignored those who greeted him, leaving them watching him as he walked away. He didn't have time for any of that, nor the patience for niceties. _Get in, get out._ He prayed he wouldn't run into Barbossa.

He quickly made his way to his father's flat. _Get in, get out._ He climbed the three flights of stairs, gritting his teeth as he went. He didn't bother to knock when he got there and instead pushed the door open, finding his father sitting in his favorite chair in front of the hearth he built for his mother.

"Jackie," he stood up, a smile spreading across his face.

"Get in, get out," Jack muttered, trying to catch his breath from the brisk pace he'd kept up the stairs.

"What?" Teague's brow furrowed.

"'Come now,'" Jack said impatiently. Maybe in a few months time, he'd be able to come back and have a proper visit with his father, but now was not that time. There was a large bottle of rum sitting on his cabin desk, waiting for him. He was anxious to get back to it, not wanting the poor thing to be lonely…

He watched, his thin patience growing even thinner as his father took a deep breath and began to walk towards him. The old man stopped when he was right in front of him, his eyes deadly serious. "She's alive, boy."

"What?" _What?_

"The girl," Teague said slowly. "Her ship, her crew… they all went down in the storm. But not her. Yer right, lad, she's a fighter."

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked in a whiny voice. Surely he couldn't be serious. And he better not be trying to mess with him… he never did understand his sense of humor.

Teague reached out and squeezed Jack's shoulder, keeping a firm grip. "I'm serious, Jack. She made it."

_She. Made. It. _It felt like his heart was dropping all the way down into his stomach, making him feel slightly ill and a little dizzy. Could it be true? Could such an incredible thing be possible? It always seemed that he was getting a second chance... could he be lucky enough to get one now? He pulled back and grabbed both of his father's shoulders, looking him dead in the eye.

"Where? Where is she?" He spoke quickly. With a simple tilt of his head in the direction of the main bedchamber, Jack was off. He stopped outside the door, his palms sweaty, his hand shaking, hovering above the knob. _Get in, get in! _The dizzy feeling had yet to subside and he wasn't sure which would come first, passing out or throwing up. _Get in…_ He bit down hard on his lip and without another second's pause, he squeezed the knob and opened the door.

He stepped into the doorframe and everything stopped. There was no sound. There were only two people in the world. Him and her.

A small, fragile looking body was standing at the window. She'd been staring out to sea, but when she heard the door open, she turned to face him, a small smile curling onto her lips. She was so thin, gaunt almost. The nightgown she was wearing clung to her body, making her look smaller than she really was. There were bruises on her arms and a large, angry looking gash on her forehead. Her skin was pale, so pale, her eyes dark and sunken. She essentially looked like a skeleton with skin. But she was beautiful. She was alive and she was beautiful.

"He said you were coming," she said, her voice quiet and far away. He could see her eyes glistening and her voice cracked with her next sentence. "Oh, Jack…"

He quickly kicked the door closed with the heel of his boot before walking, practically running, to where she stood. He didn't pause or wait for her to react to his presence before wrapping both his arms around her lithe body and pulling her towards him. He kept one hand on her back and placed the other behind her head, cradling her against his chest. He lowered his mouth towards her ear.

"I love you, 'Lizabeth and I swear to every God there is that m'not lettin' you out of my sight again." He didn't care if he sounded like a ridiculous, love-struck fool and he didn't care if she didn't love him back. He swore to himself that should he ever get a second chance with her, that's what he'd say, and he fully intended to make good on his word. If he never spoke another true sentence again, let his last one be that.

He felt her body shudder and shake against him and he pulled back, quickly bending down and scooping her up into his arms. He walked her back to the bed and set her down, falling to his knees on the floor beside her. He watched, chewing his lip nervously as she took in several shaky breaths and blinked away tears. He reached over and brushed them off her cheeks with his thumb. "Don't cry, Lizzie. Yer alive, yer okay. Don't cry."

"I was coming to find you, you know," she said, clearing her throat and sniffling. She turned slightly onto her side, so she was facing him better.

"What for?" he asked, his voice softer than she'd ever heard it before. He was behaving in a way that she'd only dreamed about, making her heart swell for him.

"To tell you… to tell you I love you," she confessed, remembering his own recent words and how happy they had made her. Maybe… maybe hers would do the same for him. She watched, holding her breath as he smiled. _Thank God._

"Next time send me a letter, an' I'll come to you," he whispered.

"I thought you were never letting me out of your sight again?"

"_Never,_" he shook his head, brushing his hand over her brow. He watched with utter glee as her eyes lit up.

"Jack?"

"Aye, luv?"

"Kiss me?"

He didn't answer her with a yes or a no. He answered her in the only way that he could. He leaned close to her, gently pressing his hand against the back of her neck, and kissed her. Elizabeth was alive. _She was alive_.

Life had _never_ been better.

* * *

Was that a hand? Trailing up her thigh towards her waist? Elizabeth opened her bleary eyes, smiling to see Jack leaning over her, a silly grin on his face. Her mind flashed to the previous night, to falling asleep with his hand stroking her hair. The sunlight pouring in through the window was a clear indication that he'd been there all night.

"Mornin', luv," he greeted, his voice was soft and hesitant. "Did ye sleep well, darlin'?"

"Mmm… yes," she replied, her grin broadening when he leaned down to kiss her. It felt so good to have his lips against hers, so right, so complete.

"Good," he said. "We've a big day ahead of us."

"Have we?" she asked, her hand lightly gripping his upper arm.

"Aye," he replied, nodding. "Today m'takin' you home."

"Where you'll never let me out of your sight again?"

"Well, nat'rally." He leaned down to brush his lips against hers again. "Lady permittin', of course." She laughed and nodded, wrapping her arms around his back as he pulled her against his chest. He was warm. She leaned her forehead against his chest, brushing her lips against the skin there.

It had only taken a moment for her to lose everything. She breathed in deeply, inhaling his scent as she smiled to herself. Then again…

…it only took a moment for her to find it again.

* * *

**A/N: **So that's it guys! Thanks for sticking with me and reading, now go review!

And for those of you who read_**Shattered**_, I have posted a new poll in my profile. It's pretty important, as it will affect the way the rest of that story is written, so go VOTE!

Thanks again!


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